Another issue is upon us. We've got a full issue here, with three maps arising from the recycling bin after long vacations. In addition we've got your favorite column with WCA's latest challenge, and we all think you'll get a kick out of it. Sadly no Editorial this issue, school got in the way of our intended writer, so look for it next issue. Of course we've got A Look Back and Spotlight, covering Tisha's Puget Sound and Sully's up-and-coming World Cities. And finally our Community Perspective, with the proof that nobody likes reading what I'm typing right now. Just let me know if I should just cut this portion out already.

Hope you enjoy the issue,TaCktiXSenior Editor

In this section we cover every map presently in development. Each map is accompanied by a brief description of the map's theme, graphics, and gameplay, as well as what's been happening in the last couple of weeks. Finally, a link to each topic, the map's creator(s), and what stamps it presently has are noted.

Name:BrazilCreator: RjBealsStamps:Description: The ultimate winner of the well-publicized Brazil Revamp Competition, Rj has created a map that simply oozes with color, fitting for a nation known for its vibrant culture. Graphics are the order du jour now.Present Development: Quenched.

Name:Land and SeaCreator: Edbeard and GimilStamps:Description: This is a map of the world including both land and water territories. The graphics are basically non-existent right now, but the gameplay is undergoing serious discussion. The main feature of the game is that land and water territories only connect at certain points.Present Development: Quenched.

Name:Castle LandsCreators: Pikkio & Thenobodies80Stamps: Description: This map is a depiction of a castle under siege. The central castle is surrounded by four quadrants of terrain, each with catapults capable of bombarding the castle's tower. For the most part, however, this map has classic gameplay. Present Development: Effectively done, awaiting quench.

Name:Germany RevampCreator: PepperonibreadStamps:Description: The current Germany map, as many German members have pointed out, is quite inaccurate. In this revamp, Pepperonibread is redrawing many of the borders to more accurately reflect the real Germany, as well as changing many of the territory names. Finally, the graphics will be completely overhauled and replaced with, in the words of Gimil, "super cool, shit hot graphics." Present Development: Working on ironing out the XML centering the the like.

Name:GreenlandCreator:the.killing.44Stamps:Description: Greenland, you get the icy chills just from looking at it. Nothing but blue, white and a battle. Circling around an impassible zone, this map looks to give a new challenge to players. Icy graphics done by the.killing.44 makes this map a real looker.Present Development: Done, awaiting quench.

Name:Indian EmpireCreator: OaktownStamps:Description: Taking a cue from another, more modern attempt at India and its surrounding countries, Oaktown has taken the period of time when India was a British colony, and translated it onto a beautiful rendering of a history book (Editor's Note: he used the same book for the Brazil revamp contest). Combining simple colors and a hand-drawn look for terrain features and the like, the map is fairly simple on gameplay, with classic continents and a railway bonus to spice things up. Rewrite history for who controlled the region in the 1800's, or join those building the next railway for the ruler. The choice is yours.Present Development: Recently got the XML stamp, looking to quench in the near future.

Name:Poison RomeCreator: cairnswkStamps:Description: The Julio-Claudian dynasty of the early Roman Empire has a family tree complicated by multiple marriages between the members of the gens Julia and the gens Claudia. This map is currently in version 8, with a unique family tree layout. It will make for some interesting gameplay.Present Development: Complete, awaiting quench.

Name:AntarcticaCreator: e_i_piStamps:Description: Conquer Club has featured at one time or another all continents, save one: Antarctica. To avoid the problems of "boring chunk of ice with only research stations on it" and the treaty protecting it from conquest, the mapmaker has cast the map forward in time to 2060, when ice has given way to land, and everyone is vying to conquer it all. The graphics are suitably cold yet colorful, and the conquest basis of the map has been well-thought-out. The map merely asks that you conquer the previously unconquerable Antarctica.Present Development: Back from vacation and seeking blood...er, a graphics stamp.

Name:AtlantisCreators:Premier2k and NemesischildStamps:Description: Ever want to visit Atlantis? Ok, maybe a myth, but not anymore! Atlantis is unique map that is sure to get CC gamers talking. Great layout and design, with a bounty of colors keeping it lively.Present Development: Updated, with lots of comments requested.

Name:AusterlitzCreator:pamoaStamps:Description: Have you ever wanted to be Napoleon? Well here is your chance fight his battle, win his victory or turn it into his defeat. With new and complicated game play, this map will be challenging players for years to come. The beautiful landscape is full of small details and a little history for those of us not fully aware of Napoleon's triumph. Present Development: Recently stamped for gameplay, with a large version for the graphics in the works.

Name:Balkan PeninsulaCreator:ZeakCythoStamps:Description: This is a gorgeous map of the Balkan Peninsula. The gameplay is classic, with numerous small continents and easy to take bonuses.Present Development: Quiet of late, but improving by leaps and bounds when it gets updated. Maybe we should call Zeak Pep Jr. due to his school obligations.

Name:CC ArcheryCreators:Kaplowitz and gimilStamps:Description: CC Archery is a map that mimics players shooting at targets, and one disgustingly cute rabbit. Bonuses are easy to get, making gameplay fun in the early game. The graphics are heavily tongue-in-cheek, which serves as a boon for this map.Present Development: After a nearly year-long hiatus, back in action. Any and all comments to make the idea work are requested.

Name:Central AmericaCreator:IgoasklucylStamps:Description: Fresh out of the Central America Amateur competition, this map is a representation of the Central American nations with classic gameplay and smooth tropical graphics.Present Development: An update should be out soon and the mapmaker is on the lookout for any additional feedback.

Name:ChessCreator:john9blueStamps:Description: A map based on one of the oldest games, to put it simply. It's a lovely rendering of a late-game chess match, with auto-deploys on held pieces and attack routes based on piece movement. That alone makes for a different and engaging gameplay, sure to set this map apart. So grab the speed clock and claim checkmate soon.Present Development: Gameplay stamped and looking to have graphics soon too.

Name:Conquer MartCreator:lzrmanStamps:Description: Ah, the shopping mall. Home of After Thanksgiving sales, last stands against the zombie apocalypse, and armed conflict. Well, in the past there wasn't any armed conflict, but this map seeks to change that, with fights over the departments and stores of a standard shopping mall being the order du jour. An overhead view shows off the floorplan of conquest, similar to a mall directory.Present Development: Looking to be in dire straits with uncertainty of how to improve the map.

Name:Das SchloßCreator:CairnswkStamps:Description: This map is unique in several ways. For one, it is the only map that can only be won by completing the objective. For two, it's gone back from quenching into the foundry with a major rework of the map's mechanics to fix some unforeseen balance issues.Present Development: Once issues are resolved on those and all present games on the older map are completed, the map will get re-quenched. According to Game Finder, that is a mere 2 games (a year after the map released).

Name:EnglandCreator:MrBennStamps:Description: Green and Pleasant Land indeed. This map displays England and only England, in many shades of green. Wonderful graphics make this map a showcase of real talent unless you happen to not like green. No special features except for a inset to include London.Present Development: Currently being thrashed through numerous means to make a build-your-own bonus viable on the map.

Name:Europe 1099Creator:Beko the GreatStamps:Description: The Crusades, you can hear the clashing of swords and the crying of peasants just from a glance at this map. Look closely and you will see it was painted on cloth. The setting of this battle, Europe and a touch of Africa during the 1099 Crusade. This map plays to the religious aspects of the time period and looks like it will make a great game. Present Development: Getting a good mix of gameplay and graphics feedback, with a new version sure to come soon.

Name:Feudal EpicCreator:GimilStamps:Description: The long-awaited sequel to the original conquest map, Feudal War. Whereas Feudal War was restricted to only 6 players, Feudal Epic has enough for 8 people, with wide and expansive village regions in between to clash and vanquish your enemies in. Otherwise, the gameplay is the same, if not better, than the original Feudal War, making this a certain favorite when it quenches.Present Development: Undergoing numerous small tweaks to the graphics to make it perfect.

Name:First Nations of North AmericaCreator:TishaStamps:Description: Painted on a parchment for all to see, a picture of early North America. Divided into its early tribes, from the tip of Greenland to the tip of Mexico, and everywhere in between. With good old fashion standard game play this map will be a delight to those players that like to keep it simple.Present Development: Unleashed upon the Foundry and sure to get an update soon.

Name:GilgameshCreator:OaktownStamps:Description: This map is unique in at least one way: it grew out of a rejected revamp entry. Now divorced from the confining Centerscape gameplay, the maker has crafted a vibrant and mythologically-informed look at the Fertile Crescent during ancient times. Utilizing portions of the Gilgamesh epic, the map has both standard and special bonuses, leading to a very diverse gameplay.Present Development: Still working on balancing out every aspect of the gameplay.

Name:Iron CurtainCreator:RjBeals and the.killing.44Stamps:Description: The Soviet Union and its constituent Warsaw Pact nations formed the basis of the feared Iron Curtain. This map takes that large region and turns it into a 96 territory map colored in shades of iron. Its construction is very clean, and the gameplay fairly open with a minimum of impassables. Recreating a symbol of oppression never was so much fun.Present Development: Reborn under the care of .44, and already off to the races on improving the title among other things.

Name:Long IslandCreators:sailorseal and LED ZEPPELINERStamps:Description: A long thin block of territories surrounded by boats forking off at the end is the basic design of the map. A medium to small map with very few bonuses will give a new challenge to any player that decides to take it.Present Development: Working on ironing out gameplay elements as well as adding a unique flavor to the map's look.

Name:MexicoCreators:fumandomuerte and MrBennStamps:Description: This map just oozes the flavor of the country it is representing. It's a classic map with ports similar to the Philippines map, and its color scheme is straight off the Mexican flag itself. The vibrant colors and Mexican theme definitely contribute to the appeal of this map.Present Development: Back from a two month vacation, the map is once again making progress. All feedback has been encouraged.

Name:Monsters!Creator:dolomite13Stamps:Description: This map makes you think just to look at it. A highly complex game play style with a fun and lovable theme, MONSTERS! It is essentially Monsters vs. Wizards in a fight for power stones, monsters, wizards and points. Present Development: Temporarily on vacation due to a mapmaker true vacation, should be back going shortly.

Name:New ZealandCreator:Reggie Mac and LED ZEPPELINERStamps:Description: This is a map of New Zealand, complete with some surrounding islands. The graphics are clean and simple, and the gameplay is totally classic.Present Development: Updated, and awaiting comments to help out the gameplay.

Name:Rose CityCreator:lostatlimboStamps:Description: lostatlimbo has a very creative premise for this map: highlight all the unique features of Portland and turn them into gameplay features. That coupled with a bright and borderline garish color scheme creates a different map that likely will break the "limited appeal" problem that other city maps have run into.Present Development: Getting closer to a latched-down gameplay.

Name:Route 66Creator:oaktownStamps:Description: Route 66, nothing says USA like this good old-fashioned road. Look at it, and you see a miniature USA. There are no territories out on the open road, just lots of different routes. From Chicago to LA, branching out all of the country. Players have to scramble for routes from sea to shining sea bringing a sense of home for players all across America. The fun isn't just reserved for them however, as any player will enjoy this new map created by the recently retired from C.A. oaktown himself.Present Development: In the Foundry, and utterly silent since the move.

Name:SwitzerlandCreator:Kaplowitz and WcaclimbingStamps:Description: Switzerland is famed for its bank accounts, neutrality in war, and sweeping mountains. So have a hostile takeover on this average-sized map of the country. Graphics are simple and the gameplay matches, with only classic continents and impassables.Present Development: Still getting lots of graphical tweak feedback.

Name:TrafalgarCreator:CairnswkStamps:Description: The Battle of Trafalgar was a turning point in Europe during Napoleon's reign With unorthodox naval tactics, Admiral Nelson destroyed the French/Spanish fleet with no ships lost. This map strives to depict that pivotal battle, with cannon bombardments, boarding parties, and bonuses requiring most, but not all, of ships to be held. A clever model depiction and a solid color scheme help to make the map a bird's eye view of naval warfare at its height.Present Development: Back on the job, and gameplay stamped. Now to get that graphics one...

Name:Treasure MapCreator:LED ZEPPELINERStamps:Description: A colorful take on a classic nautical "Treasure Map" featuring skull and cross bones with a few classic sailing ships thrown in. An objective style game play with a island hopping setting gives the player the feel they are hunting for a treasure. Arrr!Present Development: Recently updated and clamoring for a Gameplay stamp.

Name:VancouverCreator:ShakeycatStamps:Description: This is a map of the greater Vancouver area. It has mostly classic gameplay, with attack routes between ports and special bonuses for holding various transportation modes, i.e. train lines.Present Development: Recently stamped for Gameplay.

Name:WWII: The Invasion of PolandCreator:samuelc812Stamps:Description: Sporting the colors of World War II, this starting positions map has many special features keeping you always interested such as planes, tanks and bonuses for commanders. Take a look at this map and you just might learn something.Present Development: Under the final review before hitting the Forge, with a laundry list of small tweaks to get done.

Name:Conquer Club National BankCreators:lzrman and a.subStamps: [Preliminary Review]Description: (Alarm goes off)You are breaking in to Conquer Club's National Bank, they have made the map, all you need to do is get the money and get out. Objective: Get 6 money carts and the get-away car to win. The only problem: there are other players standing in your way.A unique style of gameplay forces players to break their way into a bank with all of the territories named after members of the crack team who made the map. Sneaking your way past alarms, searching for carts of money, this map has many thrills to come.Present Development: On a short vacation.

Name:JudeaCreator:Len44Stamps: [Preliminary Review]Description: Finally someone will do it, make the un-makeable map, Israel (Judea)! With a strictly historical shape and a well done earthy feel this map has quickly gained support.Len44 didn't stop there, he has not only started a great map but as spiced it up with a few complex game play features in a style of his own.Present Development: Silent.

Name:World CitiesCreator:sully800Stamps: [Preliminary Review]Description: For those who loved Classic, maybe this will fill the void left in your heart. A typical image of the world (Moved 40* to the left) with cities instead of countries. With a well done graphical style and interesting game play to boot, this looks like a great map.Present Development: Updated with a new terrain-based look.

In A Look Back, we look at either a recently quenched map or a mapmaker who has contributed to CC but hasn't done so recently. It's a great retrospective that is certain to be an interesting feature as time goes on.

How old are you/what gender are you/where do you live? Answer specifically, vaguely, or not at all.I'm a 30-ish female. I live in rainy Washington with my family.

How did you find out about Conquer Club?I had a friend that had mentioned playing Risk online, and you can only lose to your husband on the kitchen table so many times before it gets boring... So I went ahead and googled it.

What is your favorite map currently up for live play? Why that one?I can't seem to get enough games on Tamriel... that would have to be my favorite. Graphics-wise, I love Midgard and Scotland.

What interested you in mapmaking?I don't know.. I guess I just wanted to play on a map representing my area I live in. I love working on things with Photoshop now. I think that is more what my second map is about.

What ended up being the most rewarding part of making this map?It's great to play on a map you have made, to have other people playing on it as well.

This map was quenched before the Stamp system came into existence. What major differences were there in the system between now and then?I can't compare them too much, I haven't had a second map go through the Foundry yet. It seems more organized now, with more set guidelines for advancing through the Foundry. It was kinda messy for me back when Puget Sound went through the process.

It's been nearly 2 years since you last worked on a map in the Foundry. Why the long wait?I waited so long because of the feeling that was left from making Puget Sound. The guidelines hadn't been clear on what a map needed to progress though the Foundry, and my map had been advanced along to Final Forge. At that point there quite a few people came out of the woodwork to tell me how horrible it was. There were a couple people posting about how they didn't like the map, but now that it was in Final Forge they would post and tell me what they didn't like about it. There were a lot of non-constructive comments...I love the look and game play of Puget Sound; I am proud of it. I know it couldn't have turned out like it did without a lot of those comments, no matter how much I disliked them at the time of posting...

What project are you working on right now? Provide links if you can.Right now I'm working on a map of the Native Tribes of North America, with maybe a Native Tribes of South America to follow...depending on how things go.

In the Spotlight, we typically cover a staff-selected map and mapmaker in an interview. Mapmaker motivations, inspirations, and the like have been covered, with plenty of surprises in between.

How old are you/what gender are you/where do you live? Answer specifically, vaguely, or not at all.I'm a 22 year old guy, currently attending Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. This summer I will be moving to Ithaca NY to attend Cornell for graduate school.

How did you find out about Conquer Club?I got tired of my Risk II CD ROM in 2006 so I did a Google search for an online Risk game. I was lucky that I did it while CC was taking it's first steps!

What is your favorite map currently up for live play? Why that one?I have always been a huge fan of World 2.1. I love bigger maps because I feel it makes luck less of a factor, and World 2.1 is the biggest around. Additionally, that map is so well balanced that you can start from pretty much any place in a flat rate game which is a huge benefit. The graphics are simple but the gameplay is great

What interested you in mapmaking?When I first joined CC, I thought creating a map would be fun so I tried making a map of a playground in Paint. It was terrible and I thought better about posting it, but I was still excited about the process since you get to be so creative. I also attempted a Darts map and a Skyscraper map, neither of which panned out. I'm glad to see the World Cities is taking shape better than my previous attempts, which makes sense since the gameplay is so familiar.

What kind of feedback do you like getting the most?I enjoy hearing graphical advice from other users, because it really sparks the creative process. Without the advice of others our maps would still be quite plain and boring, but collectively the Foundry process creates so very appealing maps!

What "keeps you going" through getting a map through the Foundry?I think CC is in desperate need of a "regular" sized world map. Doodle Earth and World 2.1 are great, but with the demise of Classic there has been a big void at CC and I would like to help fix that.

What advice do you have for people who are starting on their first maps?The idea needs to be initially developed with gameplay in mind, and the gameplay has to relate well with the gameplay. When I attempted a Darts map, my main purpose was selfish - the map would have more territories to any other at the time, and I thought a big map would suit my playing preferences well. I had a gimicky idea with a lot of territories, but the gameplay and bonus structure really had no relevance to the map. Similarly, Skyscrapers was a map that I thought would be great graphically, and it reflected my interest in structural engineering, but I really didn't ever come up with a good gameplay idea so the map was doomed from the start.

How did you decide what graphics styles to go with?I haven't! My first 7 editions had distinctly colored continents and the latest version is meant to look like a realistic satellite view of the earth. I am new to Photoshop and I'm learning as I go on this map, so I'm taking advice and following tutorials to make the map as graphically pleasing as possible. The "style" will develop based on my abilities and advice from the community, though I would like to model the map after those by WidowMakers and RjBeals

How much time do you spend on each update? How much of that time do you enjoy?Some of the updates were about an hour each. The latest update as well as the initial draft were several hours, probably 4 or 5. I enjoy the time because I am learning a lot of new Photoshop tricks and I think those are useful skills to have. I've already been able to apply them to my research, because I was doing a lot of work with pictures of precast concrete beams that needed editing That's a "cool" smiley simply because there is no "uncool" smiley. (Ink note: there totally is )

How would you feel to be the first current hunter to quench a map?Well, I'm not exactly a "current" hunter. I essentially retired one year ago due to time constraints, though I still like to help out when I receive PM's. It's understandable that the hunters don't have time for cartography because they are a busy and hard working bunch!

Were there any suggestions that you absolutely loved? Or any that you really hated?Most of the graphical suggestions have been great ideas and I try to implement them whenever possible. I am getting tired of people asking me to connect Africa to Asia but that's alright. The bonus regions are close together so people want to see them connected, but they are not for gameplay reasons.

What do you think of the Foundry process in general?I think its a good process, though it is rigorous and time consuming. I spent a lot more time in the foundry in 2006 and 2007 and it was a mess because there was no process or stamps or anything. You just worked on the map until Andy decided it was ready to be forged. That created problems because people would want complete gameplay changes after the graphics had been painstakingly developed. While the current process is very time intensive I think it produces a lot of excellent maps and lets the community be involved throughout the process which is ideal.

The section where we ask what YOU think. We've typically run polls and published additional responses to the questions asked, but new and different ways are certain to show up soon.

This issue we asked which part of the Foundry you liked most. [Editor's Note: I take it everyone despises my starting editorial introducing the issue, based on the number of votes for it] The resounding victor was WCA's Tablet, the graphically-focused portion of the Newsletter. In a triple tie for 2nd were the Editorial, Spotlight, and the bread-and-butter Maps in Development. Apparently the poll garnering this data wasn't very popular, as only 1 vote came in for the Community Perspective.

the.killing.44 wrote:The interviews in general or the Editorial, I'm on the ropes. I think I'd say Editorial just because it's the one option that is a single one I like. Though the Tablet is sweet

tlane wrote:I voted for maps in development, just because it gives you in overview of what is happening with most of the maps. Then agian it gets a bit repetitive some times.

sailorseal wrote:Spotlight FTW!

bryguy wrote:I like WCA's Tablet the most, as it gives one the chance to try out their skills with making things.

AndyDufresne wrote:Spotlight Interviews for me----though I see and work with most of you daily, it's always more interesting to read a sit down chat.

First off, thanks for voting for WCA's Tablet as the best part of the newsletter in our most recent Community Perspectives poll. That really means a lot to me and I'll work hard to continue to provide quality content for you guys in each issue.

Secondly, thanks again for all the participation in our last challenge. It was great!This week, I've got yet another community challenge for all of you, and its sure to bring lots of laughs to everyone.

I'm sure many of you guys remember the great (funny) maps from the foundry's history. Plasagna, the Super Cool Map, and many other amusing maps have been a great source of entertainment in the foundry. The maps that are so ridiculous and random that they force everyone to laugh and smile just a bit.

My challenge for you all this week is to make a 'great' map that can compete in the ranks of Plasagna and all the others. Your goal is to provide the most laughs to the foundry with the map you create.

The only rule I am putting on this challenge is that the map has to be at most 600 pixels wide and 500 pixels tall. Any larger than that and your submission will be disqualified. This rule is just in place so we don't have the next issue of the Tablet packed with enormous maps. Keep them reasonably sized, but be sure to pack in lots of laughs.

The winner of this challenge will be determined by the staff of the foundry newsletter, with our decision based on how many laughs each map brings us. The most hilarious map wins. The only prize we can offer at this point in time is bragging rights to the winner, but I might be able to come up with something reasonably cool by the time the next issue comes around.

This is a relatively simple challenge to all of you, I really want to see tons of submissions from all the mapmakers in the foundry. If you decide to participate, PM your awesome map to wcaclimbing and it will be included in the next issue of WCA's Tablet.

Until next week, thanks for the continued support of WCA's Tablet.I hope to see a few awesome maps come in soon, I can't wait!

~wcaclimbing

PS:Click the next spoiler to see a few awesome maps from the past, if you need some inspiration:

Then feel free to subscribe to the newsletter by sending a PM with your name to the Newsletter's senior editor, TaCktiX (clicky). By subscribing you will receive every new issue of the Newsletter straight into your inbox, keeping you up to date with all the new latest developments in the Foundry.

Wrap up

We would like to thank you all for taking the time to read and enjoy our newsletter.See you next time!